BE NOT THOU AFRAID WHEN ONE IS MADE RICH, WHEN THE GLORY OF HIS HOUSE IS INCREASED ;-Psalm xlix. 16.

LUKE Xii. 28-36.

28 not-arrayed like one of-these. If then God so clothe the grass, which-is to-day in the field, and to-morrow is-cast into the-oven; how-much more will he clothe you, O-ye-of29 little-faith? And seek not ye what ye-shall-eat, or what ye-shall-drink, neither be-ye-of30 doubtful-mind μeтewpieσbe. For all these-things do- the nations of the world -seek31 after and your Father knoweth that ye-have-need of-these-things. But-rather seek-ye the kingdom of God; and all these-things shall-be-added unto-you.

32

Fear not, little flock; for it-is-your Father's-good-pleasure to-give you the kingdom. 33 Sell that ye have, and give alms; provide yourselves bags which-wax-not-old, a-treasure in the heavens that-faileth-not aveкλETTOV, where no thief approacheth, neither 34 moth corrupteth. For where your treasure is, there will- your heart-be also. 35 Let- your loins -be girded-about, and your lights burning; 36, and ye yourselves like unto-men that-wait-for their lord, when he-will-return from the wedding; that

SCRIPTURE ILLUSTRATIONS.

Lu. xii. 28. the grass-Mt. vi. 30, § 19, p. 135.
29. seek not- Take no thought,' Mt. vi. 31, § ib.

30. the nations- The Gentiles,' Mt. vi. 32, § ib.
31. But rather seek-But seek ye first,' Mt. vi. 33.

shall be added-to those who add to their faith virtue, &c., as exhorted, 2 Pe. i. 5-8.

32. Father's good pleasure-Jesus had said, Mt. xi. 25, .6, § 29, p. 227, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes. Even so, Father: for so it seemed good in thy sight. And at his coming again he will say, XXV. 31, § 86, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:'

bags which wax not old-not such as are described, Hag. i. 6, Ye have sown much, and bring in little; ye eat, but ye have not enough; ye drink, but ye are not filed with drink; ye clothe you, but there is none warm; and he that earneth wages earneth wages to put it into a bag with holes.'

a treasure-Mt. vi. 19, 20, Lay not up,' &c., 'but lay up,' &c., § 19, p. 134.

34. where your treasure is-see on Mt. vi. 21. 35. loins be girded-Of Messiah it is said, Is. xi. 5, Righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins, and faithfulness the girdle of his reins.'-To believers it is said, Eph. vi. 14, Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth,' &c.-1 Pe. i. 13, Gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end.'

33. Sell that ye have, &c.-so to the young man who had great possessions, Mt. xix. 21, § 75, p. 225, 'If lights burning-see the parable of the ten virgins thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and which took their lamps,' &c., Mt. xxv. 1, § 86, p. 346 give to the poor,' &c.-The primitive Christians-Ph. ii. 15, 6, Among whom ye shine as lights in acted according to this rule, Ac. ii. 45; iv. 34, .5. the world; holding forth the word of life;'

NOTES.

Lu. xii. 29. Neither be ye of doubtful mind. Meaning, Be not anxiously fluctuating between hope and fear,' as to the supply of your daily wants.

34. Where your treasure is, &c. Many in the sanctuary by their conduct seem to say, 'I am here, but my heart is at home with my money.'

35-46. Here Christ addresses them in respect of diligent attention to their proper work, as he had before done as to moderation, indifference about things temporal, and trust in God for the supply of their daily wants.

[32. Fear not, little flock;.... the kingdom. The kingdoms of this world seemed very unlikely to become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ; and twelve poor fishermen on the lake of Galilee gave, to the natural eye, no great promise of sitting upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel, in the Messiah's universal kingdom. But they were not 35. Loins be girded, &c. Alluding to the tying up to look to natural things, but to the faithfulness and the long garments of the easterns, when travelling or power of Him whose good pleasure it is to give them doing any work requiring expedition. Hence, to gird the kingdom; and also all things necessary, as reach- up the loins means to be ready, be active, be diligent; ing forward to its attainment.-See on ver. 7, p. 164.] be in a constant state of preparedness and watchful33. Bags which wax not old. Alluding to the dan-ness.-Comp. 2 Ki. iv. 29; ix. 1; Je. i. 17; Ac. xii. 8. ger of losing money out of a hole worn in an old [Lights burning. This expression refers to the duty purse, which was attached to the girdle. Such is of servants when their master was away, and when frequently the gain of this world, and so are its trea- he would return from a wedding. As they knew not sures hoarded up and put into a bag with holes. the hour, they were to be continually ready.-Comp. The rich men of Judæa, so soon ravaged and de- Mt. XXV. Let the candle of the Lord be always stroyed by the Romans, particularly found it so. found burning brightly in your hand.]

PRACTICAL REFLECTIONS.

[Lu. xii. 27,.8. He who so beauteously clothes the flowers of the field, which are so soon to pass away, may well be trusted with the clothing of his saints, who are to dwell with him for ever. Let us look forward to, and patiently wait for, the coming of our Lord, when we shall be clothed upon, with our house which is from heaven.] [29 ver. Let us neither, in ways of our own devising, seek to provide for our bodily wants, nor let us be doubtful that God will provide for us as walking in the way of his commandments.]

[31 ver. Let us, in all our arrangements, consider first what is most for the glory of God; what will most forward the cause of truth, and promote in ourselves and others, righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost. And we have the promise of

166]

Him who cannot lie, that all things necessary for the
body shall be added unto us.]
32 ver. The Jews, who sought to secure their place
and nation, in rejection of Christ, have now neither
place nor nation; whereas the professed disciples of
Christ, then so few, have, in even their feeble and
most imperfect obedience to his commands, been
given, in a manner, the dominion of the world.
[33 ver. Prudence for time is folly for eternity.
Let us consider our earthly possessions only as
means towards an end, and let the end we aim at be
beyond the chances and changes of time. Let us
loosen our hold of the world, and prepare for an
enjoyment of the treasures which are eternal.]

34 ver. Let us not think that we can labour for the accumulation of worldly gains, and yet have our affections placed upon things above.

BUT ONE THING IS NEEDFUL:-Luke x. 42.

FOR WHEN HE DIETH HE SHALL CARRY NOTHING AWAY: HIS GLORY SHALL NOT DESCEND AFTER HIM.

Psalm xlix. 17.

VOL. II.

AND WHATSOEVER YE DO, DO IT HEARTILY, AS TO THE LORD, AND NOT UNTO MEN;

LUKE xii. 37-42.

37 when-he-cometh and knocketh, they-may-open unto-him immediately. those servants, whom the lord when-he-cometh shall-find watching: verily I-say unto-you, that he-shall-gird-himself, and make-them-to-sit-down-to-meat, and will38 come-forth Tapeλwv and-serve them. And if he-shall-come in the second watch, or 39 come in the third watch, and find them so, blessed are those servants. And this know,

that if the good-man-of-the-house had-known what hour the thief would-come, he-would40 have-watched, and not have-suffered his house to-be-broken-through. Be ye therefore ready also for the Son of man cometh at-an hour when ye-think not.

Then Peter said unto-him, Lord, speakest-thou this parable unto us, or even to all? * 42 And the Lord said, Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom his lord shallmake-ruler kataστησe over his household deрanelas, to-give them their portion-of-meat SCRIPTURE ILLUSTRATIONS.

NOTES.

PRACTICAL REFLECTIONS.

[39 ver. So far as we are left in charge of the house of God, let us watch carefully against evil, as well as [Although the faithful steward may not know the wait patiently for good. Let us consider, that we hour of his reward, he will know the duty of every not only watch for our Lord's return, but that, until hour; and as endeavouring to give to each his por*Answered at Mark xiii. 37,' Greswell, Vol. I. Diss. i. p. 24. THE JUST SHALL LIVE BY HIS FAITH.-Hab. ii. 4.

KNOWING THAT OF THE LORD YE SHALL RECEIVE THE REWARD OF THE INHERITANCE:-Col. iii. 23, .4.

O LORD, REVIVE THY WORK IN THE MIDST OF THE YEARS,

LUKE Xii. 43-.7.

43 in due-season? Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when-he-cometh shall-find so 44 doing. Of-a-truth I-say unto-you, that he-will-make-him-ruler over all that he hath. 45 But and-if that servant say in his heart, My lord delayeth xpoviče his-coming epxeobai; and shall-begin to-beat the men-servants and maidens, and to-eat and drink, and to-be46 drunken; the lord of that servant will-come in a-day when he-looketh-not-for him, and at an-hour when he-is-not-aware, and will-cut- him -in-sunder, and will-appoint him his portion uepos with the unbelievers.

47

And that servant, which knew his lord's will, and prepared not himself, neither did

SCRIPTURE ILLUSTRATIONS.

down, loving to slumber. 11, Yea, they are greedy dogs which can never have enough, and they are shepherds that cannot understand: they all look to their own way, every one for his gain, from his quarter. 12, Come ye, say they, I will fetch wine, and we will fill ourselves with strong drink; and to-morrow shall be as this day, and much more abundant.'

Lu. xii. 43. Blessed... that servant, &c.-Ps. xli. 1-3, Blessed is he that considereth the poor: the LORD will deliver him in time of trouble,' &c.-cxii. 1, 5, 9, Blessed is the man that feareth the LORD,' &c. 5, he will guide his affairs with discretion. 9, He hath dispersed, he hath given to the poor; his righteousness endureth for ever; his horn shall be exalted with honour.'-See the duty and reward of such described, Is. lviii. 7-12, p. (97)-Joseph's posterity were espe§ cially appointed to exercise themselves in this stewardship, as being given the means, and promised the blessing, Ge. xlviii. 15, .6; xlix. 22—.6, pp. (43, 77).

44. ruler over all that he hath-As Joseph was set over all in Egypt, Ge. xli. 38-43-being placed so as to have those dreams fulfilled, on account of which he had been hated and despised of his brethren, xxxvii. 5-11, .9, p. (63); xliii. 26-Is. xlix. 7, p. (23), | Thus saith the LORD, the Redeemer of Israel, and his Holy One, to him whom man despiseth, to him whom the nation abhorreth, to a servant of rulers, Kings shall see and arise, princes also shall worship, because of the LORD that is faithful, and the Holy One of Israel, and he shall choose thee.'

45. that servant-Mt. xxiv. 48, § 86, p. 343, That evil servant,'

delayeth, &c. Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, and saying, Where is the promise of his coming? &c., 2 Pe. iii. 3, 4-Ec. viii. 11, Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil.'

beat the men servants-Mt. xxiv. 49, smite his fellow-servants,' &c.-Is. lviii. 3, 4, p. (97), 'Behold, in the day of your fast ye find pleasure, and exact all your labours. Behold, ye fast for strife and debate, and to smite with the fist of wickedness:' &c.

eat and drink, &c.-Is. lvi. 10-.2, p. (64), 'His watchmen are blind: they are all ignorant, they are all dumb dogs, they cannot bark; sleeping, lying

46. in a day... and at an hour, &c.-Mt. xxiv. 36, 86, p. 341, But of that day and hour knoweth no

man,' &c.

looketh not for him-It is to those that look for him that Christ shall appear the second time without sin unto salvation,' He. ix. 28.

cut him in sunder, &c.-as was shewn in the case of Ananias and Sapphira, Ac. v. 1-11, &c.-He. iv. 12, .3, The word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened [as if laid inside out] unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.'-He, who in the beginning did, as with the sharp two-edged the churches, Rev. i. 16; ii. 12; is, with regard to a sword, cut open individuals, such as the angels of time yet future, described as he, out of whose mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations:' &c., xix. 15-and see NOTE.

his portion, &c.-he had abused his office as having been appointed to give to each his portion of meat, Upon the wicked he shall rain snares, fire and ver. 42-then shall he have his own portion: Ps. xi. 6, brimstone, and an horrible tempest: this shall be the portion of their cup.'

with the unbelievers-Mt. xxiv. 51, § 86, p. 344, 'with the hypocrites.'

47. that servant, which knew, &c.-Nu. xv. 30, The soul that doeth ought presumptuously... the same NOTES.

Lu. xii. 42. In due season. At the proper time; as they need it, or at the accustomed times. This was the office of a steward. Among the ancients this office was often filled by a slave, one who had shewn himself trusty and faithful. The duty was to have a general superintendence over the affairs of the family. Applied to Christian ministers, it means that they are to feed the flock of God, to minister to their wants, and to do it as they need it, Jno. xxi. 15-.7, § 97; Ac. xx. 28; 1 Co. iv. 1, 2.]

45-.8. In these verses our Lord warns his disciples against the effect which the delay of his coming to judgment might have upon his servants, in leading them not only to fail in watchfulness, but also to engage in evil practices with respect both to others and themselves, thus bringing upon them sudden destruction.-Comp. 2 Pe. iii. 3—10.

ment was anciently practised. Sometimes it was done by the sword, sometimes by saws. It was prac tised among the Chaldeans, Da. ii. 5; iii. 29; among the Hebrews, 1 Sa. xv. 33; 1 Ki. iii. 25; He. xi. 37. It was also practised by the Egyptians and Romans. Isaiah is reported to have been sawn asunder. Some suppose that the sense here simply is, shall deprive him of his office, and cut him off from the family :but see 'SCRIP. ILLUS.'

Persons who had the light and knowledge of God's Unbelievers. Or rather 'the unfaithful,' TV ATLOTOV. word, but made an improper use of the privileges they received. At Mt. xxiv. 51, it is hypocrites,' men who profess to be faithful, but are not really so.

47. Which knew, &c. The law distinguished between sins committed through ignorance and presumptuous

46. Will cut him in sunder. This kind of punish- sins, Nu. xv. 29, 30. PRACTICAL REFLECTIONS.

tion in due season, he will have but little time to experience weariness.]

The best preparation we can make for our Lord's return is, by acting as faithful and good stewards, in bestowing upon others. It is in blessing others we

ourselves shall be blessed.

Lu. xii. 43, .4. It is he who is faithful in the use of this world's goods for the benefit of others, who will be given the treasures of heaven as his own.

168]

[45 ver. Let our nation beware! We have been given a great stewardship-the distribution of the bread of life over all lands; as well as much power with regard to the temporal welfare of mankind generally.]

The greatness of our power and influence will be to our greater condemnation, should we be found. oppressing or neglecting that portion of his household which is committed to our care.

IN WRATH REMEMBER MERCY.-Hab. iii. 2.

IN THE MIDST OF THE YEARS MAKE KNOWN;-Hab. iii. 2.

[VOL. II.

IF THEY HAVE PERSECUTED ME, THEY WILL ALSO PERSECUTE YOU;-John xv. 20.

LUKE xii. 48-52.

48 according to his will, shall-be-beaten with-many stripes. But he that-knew not, and did-commit things-worthy of stripes, shall-be-beaten with-few stripes. For unto-whomsoever much is-given, of him shall-be- much-required: and to-whom men-have-committed much, of-him they-will-ask the-more.

49

51

I-am-come to-send Baλew fire on the earth; and what will-I, if it-be-already50 kindled? But I-have a-baptism to-be-baptized-with; and how am-I-straitened ouveχομαι till it-be-accomplished! Suppose-ye that I-am-come to-give peace on earth? I52 tell you, Nay; but rather division: for from henceforth there-shall-be five in one house SCRIPTURE ILLUSTRATIONS.

reproacheth the LORD; and that soul shall be cut off from among his people.'-Jesus told the Jews, Jno. ix. 41, § 55, p. 113, If ye were blind, ye should have no sin but now ye say, We see; therefore your sin remaineth. And of these Jews he says to his disciples, xv. 22, § 87, 'If I had not come and spoken unto them, they had not had sin: but now they have no cloke for their sin.'-Ja. iv. 17, to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.'

Lu. xii. 47. beaten with many, &c.-De. xxv. 2, It shall be, if the wicked man be worthy to be beaten,' &c. 48. that knew not-Lev. v. 17, If a soul sin, and commit any of these things which are forbidden to be done by the commandments of the LORD; though he wist it not, yet is he guilty, and shall bear his iniquity.Ac. xvii. 30, And the times of this ignorance God winked at;'-Paul, referring to what he had been previous to his knowing the truth, says, 1 Ti. i. 13, I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief.'

committed much-Paul regarded himself as thus responsible, 1 Co. ix. 16, .7, For though I preach the gospel, I have nothing to glory of: for necessity is laid upon me; yea, woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel! For if I do this thing willingly, I have a reward: but if against my will, a dispensation of the gospel is committed unto me.'-1 Ti. i. 11, According to the glorious gospel of the blessed God, which was committed to my trust.'-The same inestimable treasure does he speak of as that good thing committed to Timothy, vi. 20.

49. come to send fire-not material fire-When the sons of thunder,' possibly as mistaking the import of the name whereby Jesus had called them, asked if they might command fire from heaven to consume the Samaritan village, he reproved them, and said, the Son of man is not come to destroy men's lives, but to save them,' Lu. ix. 54-.6, § 59, p. 136-The fire our Lord alludes to, appears to be that spoken of in connection with the sending forth of the royal message When Isaiah saw the glory of the Lord, and spake of him, he spake also of the fire as qualifying for becoming the Lord's messenger, Is. vi. 6-8, p. (94), Then flew one of the seraphims unto me, having a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar: 7, and he laid it upon my mouth, and said, Lo, this hath touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged. 8, Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me.'-See also Eze. x. 2-In the Apocalypse, ch. viii. 3-5, the golden censer, after being used in offering up the prayers of all saints, is also made use of in casting into the earth fire from off the golden altar.

50. have a baptism-John had said, Mt. iii. 11, § 7, p. 54, I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost,' &c. With the baptism with which he, the Head, was already baptized, his disciples were to be baptized, Mt. xx. 22, .3, [Mk. x. 38, .9,] § 77, p. 237.

straitened-When utterance was restrained, the prophets felt thus-so Jeremiah, ch. vi. 10, .1, To whom shall I speak, and give warning, that they may hear? behold, their ear is uncircumcised, and they cannot hearken: behold, the word of the LORD is unto them a reproach; they have no delight in it. Therefore I am full of the fury of the LORD; I am weary with holding in: I will pour it out upon the children abroad, and upon the assembly of young men together: Mi. ii. 7, O thou that art named the house of Jacob, is the Spirit of the LORD straitened? are these his doings? do not my words do good to him that walketh uprightly ?'-It was when believers were all with one accord in one place, that the pentecostal baptism was given, and the first great enlargement of the church took place, Ac. ii. &c.And when that baptism is accomplished, of which a pledge was then given, Christ will be no longer straitened in utterance; and none will call upon the name of the Lord in vain, Joel ii. 28, .9, 32-Then, as described, Is. xlii. 10-.2, the new song is sung, (10, 'Sing unto the LORD a new song, and his praise from the end of the earth, ye that go down to the sea, and all that is therein; the isles, and the inhabitants lift up their voice, the villages that Kedar doth inthereof. 11, Let the wilderness and the cities thereof habit: let the inhabitants of the rock sing, let them give glory unto the LORD, and declare his praise in shout from the top of the mountains. 12, Let them the islands'), Then the Lord will no longer be straitened-ver. 13-.6, The LORD shall go forth as a of war: he shall cry, yea, roar; he shall prevail mighty man, he shall stir up jealousy like a man against his enemies. 14, I have long time holden now will I cry like a travailing woman; I will demy peace; I have been still, and refrained myself: stroy and devour at once. 15, I will make waste mountains and hills, and dry up all their herbs; and pools. 16, And I will bring the blind by a way that I will make the rivers islands, and I will dry up the they knew not; I will lead them in paths that they have not known: I will make darkness light before them, and crooked things straight. These things will I do unto them, and not forsake them.'

51. Suppose ye-see on Mt. x. 34, § 39, p. 301.

52. for from henceforth-see Mt. x. 35; Mi. vii. 6,

cal of the intense power, the purifying, testing, and the Jews, applied here to the gospel, and emblematiconsuming qualities of christianity.'-R. Watson.See SCRIP. ILLUS.

And what will I, if it be already kindled? And what should I have to wish, if it were but already kindled ?-Bloomf. And "if it be already kindled," what do I desire? what but that it should burn on ?'

49. I am come to send fire. It is a fatal objection to the notion of commentators, that by "fire" in this place Christ means "persecutions and divisions," that the kindling of it is made his most earnest wish. The "fire," therefore, must be understood of "the-Lonsdale. fire of his word," a figure of speech not strange to 51. To give peace. See on Mt. x. 34, § 39, p. 301.

PRACTICAL REFLECTIONS.

[Lu. xii. 47, .8. Let a sense of the solemn responsi- | and through water, to be separated from, and hated bility connected with eminent station and abundance of wealth, reuder us less covetous of stewardship, and more desirous of making a right use of that which has already been given us in charge.]

49-53 ver. Let us be willing to pass through fire,

VOL. II.]

by our nearest and dearest relatives, if we would
enter into the kingdom of heaven. Let us be par-
takers with Christ in his sufferings, if we hope to be
with him in the kingdom.

51 ver. The uniform deadness prevailing in coun-
[169

THE SERVANT IS NOT GREATER THAN HIS LORD.-John xv. 20.

Q

YE ARE MY FRIENDS, IF YE DO WHATSOEVER I COMMAND YOU.-John xv. 14.

GOD IS JEALOUS, AND THE LORD REVENGETH; THE LORD REVENGETH, AND IS FURIOUS;

LUKE xii. 53-.9.

53 divided, three against two, and two against three. The-father shall-be-divided against the-son, and the-son against the-father; the-mother against the-daughter, and thedaughter against the-mother; the-mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law, and thedaughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. 54 And he said also to-the people, When ye-see a cloud rise out-of the-west, straightway 55 ye-say, There-cometh a-shower; and so it-is. And when ye see the-south-wind blow, 56 ye-say, There-will-be heat; and it-cometh-to-pass. Ye hypocrites, ye-can discern oldate δοκιμάζειν the face of the sky and of the earth της γης και του ουρανου; but how is it that ye-do-not-discern this time Tov Karpov? 57 Yea, and why even of yourselves judge-ye not what is right? 58, When thou-goest with thine adversary to the-magistrate, as thou art in the way, give diligence that-thoumayest-be-delivered annλλaxtat from him; lest he-hale thee to the judge, and the judge 59 deliver thee to-the officer, and the officer cast thee into prison. I-tell thee, thou-shaltnot -depart thence, till thou-hast-paid the very last mite.

SCRIPTURE ILLUSTRATIONS.

'For the son dishonoureth the father, the daughter riseth up against her mother, the daughter in law against her mother in law; a man's enemies are the men of his own house.' There was a division among the people because of him,' Jno. vii. 43; ix. 16; x. 19, § 55, pp. 96, 110, ..7.

Lu. xii. 54. When ye see a cloud, &c.-He had before reproached the Pharisees for not using the same

Lu. xii. 53. The father shall be divided, &c. Mt. x. 36, § 39, p. 302, 'SCRIP. ILLUS.'

diligence in discerning the signs of the times as they
did in judging of the coming weather, Mt. xvi. 2, 3,
§ 47, p. 29-see ADDENDA, p. 172, infra.
58. When thou goest with thine adversary-see on
Mt. v. 25, § 19, p. 125, Agree with,' &c.
59. the very last mite-Mt. v. 26, the uttermost
farthing.'

NOTES.

See on

54. A cloud rise out of the west. The cloud;' alluding to a well-known phenomenon, regarded as a certain prognostic of rainy weather. We learn both from scripture (see 1 Ki. xviii. 44), and from the accounts of travellers in the east, that a small cloud, like a man's hand, is often the forerunner of violent storms of wind and rain. In Judea, the west wind, blowing from the sea, usually brought rain.

55. The south wind-from the hot countries, Egypt, Ethiopia, and Arabia, which lay south of Judæa. Heat. Kavov, sultry,' or 'scorching heat.' 56. Ye hypocrites. See on Mt. xvi. 3, § 47, p. 29. That ye do not discern this time? 'From the writings of the prophets, and existing events, that this is the time of the Messiah ?'

57. Yea, and why, &c. "Yea, and why even of yourselves," by the light of your own minds, and consciences, do ye not judge rightly of my doctrine; and perceive the necessity of seeking, through me, deliverance from the wrath of God, before it be too late? See the next verse, the beginning of which, in the original, shows that verses 57. .8 are connected with and explain each other.'-Lonsdale and Hale. What is right? Or 'truth.' It may signify, Why do ye not recognise the Just One?' which may be the admitted meaning, though the original be in the neuter gender.-Comp. Ac. iii. 14; vii. 52; xxii. 14.

ever.

58. When thou goest, &c. As if he had said, And ye have not a moment to lose, for the executioners of God's vengeance are at hand, and when he hath once delivered you over to them, ye are undone for Adversary. The original means, 'one that is opposed to another in a court of justice.' the sanhedrim, who sat as judge there. Magistrate. Ruler,' or 'prince,' or the prince of

[Give diligence. . . . delivered from him. This and the following verse are a kind of parable, from which we learn, that as those who have any matter in dispute at law, and lose the opportunity which is offered to them of coming to a friendly settlement with their adversaries, frequently suffer severely when the matter has been brought to trial; so the Jews, unless they sought without delay to be reconciled to God for their offences against himself, and against his servants, while the means of reconciliation were open to them, were to be given up to that state of punishment from which they have not yet been delivered. Let us, both as individuals and as a nation, be warned by the words of the Faithful and True Witness, who is also our most merciful and all-prevailing Intercessor, so as to be now reconciled unto God, ere long-threatened judgment result in punishment without remedy.]

59. Till thou hast paid, &c. And when can this be? Can weeping, wailing, and gnashing of teeth, pay to Divine justice the debt a sinner has contracted? This is impossible. Let him who readeth understand.

PRACTICAL REFLECTIONS.

tries where the word of life is proscribed; and the
religious differences existing in Protestant lands,
along with a full circulation of the scriptures; are
both in proof of the Divine mission of Jesus.
Lu. xii. 51-.3. The fear of temporal evil should not
be allowed to hinder us in our efforts to advance the
cause of eternal truth.

[54-6 ver. God has as surely given us indications of coming events, and of the change of seasons in the great scheme of Providence, as he has given us the means for judging of the weather; and those to whom the scriptures are given do but feign, when they pretend that God has withheld from them knowledge in the one case more than in the other. We ought to question ourselves as to the cause, when we know not where we are in the great scheme of Providence.]

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cular events, we may judge of coming blessing and honour, or destruction and disgrace, by what we see in the world, of love and obedience, or disobedience and ingratitude to God.]

[58 ver. If we ought to seek the being reconciled to an adversary, much more earnest ought we to be to seek reconciliation with our best Friend, who alone has the power, and who hath shewn all willingness to help us. Upon the first notice He gives us of our guilt and danger in any particular case, let us be aroused to an earnest improvement of the precious moments that are given us whilst judgment is delayed.]

59 ver. Let us from the case of the very people in whose audience these sayings were delivered, see how true these sayings are. They refused to attend to the intimations of approaching judgment, until

[57 ver. Without knowing the prediction of parti- wrath came upon them to the uttermost.

WHO CAN STAND BEFORE HIS INDIGNATION?-Nahum i. 6.

[VOL. II.

THE LORD WILL TAKE VENGEANCE ON HIS ADVERSARIES, AND HE RESERVETH WRATH FOR HIS ENEMIES.-Nahum i. 2.